Contents

About

vanadium battery info... - The vanadium redox flow battery was developed by Professor Maria Skylass-Kazacos and her team at the University of New South Wales, Australia. It is a low cost, low environmental impact battery that has a superior deep cycling life and can be mechanically refuelled in minutes.

The vanadium redox battery stores energy in a liquid electrolyte solution of vanadium pentoxide dissolved in sulphuric acid. The electrolyte can be charged or discharged by pumping it through the battery stack and either supplying electric power to the stack or taking power from the stack. It can also be recharged by having the spent electrolyte pumped out and a fresh charge of electrolyte pumped in.

The spent electrolyte can then be recharged in another battery with electricity from the mains or from renewable energy sources. This raises the opportunity for the establishment of refuelling stations so that electric vehicles could exchange their electrolyte and then continue on their way with no more delay than if refuelling with petrol or diesel.

Companies

Cellenium - Thailand - A novel vanadium redox flow battery architecture which is more efficient, more stable, and safer than other vanadium battery designs.

RE-Fuel - U.K. - RE-Fuel powered vehicles offer the major benefits of zero emissions at point of use with virtually silent operation. The life of the battery is not affected by the state of discharge as is the case with conventional lead-acid; The performance of the battery is not affected by temperatures within the range of 0 – 45 oC.

VRB Power Systems - Canada - The VRB Energy Storage System (VRB-ESS) can economically store and supply large amounts of electricity on demand and is focused on stationary applications. It is a long life, cost effective, low maintenance, efficient technology that allows for the scalability of power and storage capacity independently.

Pinnacle VRB - Australia - The Vanadium Redox Battery (VRB) is an electrochemical energy storage device, whereby energy (electricity) can be stored indefinitely in a liquid and can be recovered instantaneously. It’s a very big battery…with the capacity to store and deliver power on a commercial scale for electricity networks.

Cellstrom GmbH - Austria - Manufactures the FB10/100 a vanadium redox flow battery with power electronics in a weathproof housing for outdoor mounting. The FB10/100 delivers 100 kWh of energy at up to 10 kW power.

Applications

Info Sites

Vanadium battery info - Liquid electricity pumped as the fuel of the future. The technology may eventually allow electric cars to be refueled at future versions of today's petrol stations, doing away with the need to routinely replace bulky batteries or spend hours recharging them from power mains. The new battery stores power in tanks of vanadium sulphate dissolved in sulphuric acid. Found in Western Australia, vanadium is a metal used to make stainless steel. Dr. Jacques explained that when a vanadium battery runs down, the owner merely has to drain the discharged liquid and refill the tank.

In the News

VRB Power for Wind Farm Energy Storage - VRB Power Systems announced that the Vanadium Redox Battery Energy Storage System (VRB-ESS™) for the Sorne Hill Wind Farm in Ireland will have 2MW of power with 6 hours of storage and 3MW of pulse power for 10 minute periods to deal with short term volatility in wind generation. (The Energy Blog; Mar. 28, 2007)

Solar family car a long way off - Even in ideal conditions for solar retention (summer with no cloud cover) you’d need 90 square metres of solar panels just to power a small car. The idea of a car run by an easily replaced battery however remains appealing. The vanadium redox battery is one technology that may yet ensure that battery stations as opposed to petrol stations become a regularly frequented stop-off point for the average vehicle user. Unlike in conventional batteries, the vanadium redox stores energy in the solutions so that the capacity of the system is determined by the size of the electrolyte tanks. This means it is rechargeable and has the capacity to harness enormous power. (nowUC; May 27, 2006)

The Vanadium Battery: The Ultimate Energy Storage Solution - A new mass energy storage technology is on the cusp of entering mainstream society. The Japanese are currently using it on a grand scale, the Canadians have comprehensively evaluated it and soon Australians will have the opportunity to replace their old lead-acid batteries with a Vanadium Redox Battery alternative. There are no emissions, no disposal issues, no loss of charge, the construction materials are 'green' and the battery can be charged and discharged simultaneously. (Treehugger; April 1, 2005)

Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries - The VRB has an availability of greater than 98%. It is designed for unattended operation with very low maintenance costs. No degradation from repeated deep charges and discharges. The system can be discharged and charged greater than 13,000 times. The VRB-ESS has a charge/discharge window of 1:1 - allowing off-peak charging for on-peak dispatch - a fraction of the time required by other battery systems and ideal for wind generation applications. This technology is one of the only socially responsible energy storage options in existence. (The Energy Blog; January 21, 2006)